The barriers referred to on the trails of Mount Royal are put there by pedestrians who are frightened by mountain and other bikes that come along there at very fast speeds. It is an attempt to protect themselves.

Designating a mountain biking area on the mountain might not work because it would not be respected by bikers or enforced by the law. I say this because a huge number of cyclists, as it is, have no respect now for the rules and I have never seen police do anything about it.

I love the mountain, but I don't go anymore because I am afraid of being injured by speeding bikes. It has been my experience that they don't slow down when they pass a pedestrian, they arrive out of the blue, often in groups, often airborne, and they expect you to jump off the trail to get out of their way.